VillaChris

We just need to win as many games as possible, no issue if we space them out. So a win v Leicester, draw at West Brom and then beat Norwich next month gets us to 18 points and suddenly survival looks on big time as we surely wouldn't be that far off 17th. Got a reasonable feeling about this one for some reason, 1-1.

Garde does seem to like him so think he'll stay under summer. Would get shot of him at end of season though, not a fan and he's one of those who wouldn't lift a leg in the championship, we don't need those types.

Didn't actually realise Swansea play 2/3 of game with 10 men. That's where Sunderland got the luck, I'll ask again. When did we last play opposition down to 10 men for a large chunk of the game in a premier league fixture?

Yes that's true but I thought they had a superb balance in midfield last season....Ki holding with Shelvey pushing on and Sigurdsson as number 10, it worked very well. Just looking at their team tonight, that's the problem, the back up isn't good enough. Leon Britton is a legend but he shouldn't be starting league games anymore and Modou Barrow to me is one of the worst players in the league. They're a bit like us atm, Ayew or nothing.

Big ask but get 4 points from our next two and this can be a serious topic again instead of fantasy predictions.

Curtis won't last the season, they'll panic and get in someone competent around March (probably just before they play us) which is what Sunderland always do and it's worked for them. If they lose at home to Watford I'll retract what I said above.

Heads up for the weekend, Stoke are 3/1 (might even be more as this was just William Hill odds) yes 3-1 to beat Arsenal on Sunday. Results at the Brit since 2008: Stoke 2-1 Arsenal Stoke 3-1 Arsenal (FA cup) Stoke 1-3 Arsenal (Stoke down to 10 men at 1-1 with infamous Shawcross Red card) Stoke 3-1 Arsenal Stoke 1-1 Arsenal Stoke 0-0 Arsenal Stoke 1-0 Arsenal Stoke 3-2 Arsenal Do Bookies not study form or anything?

Liverpool-Arsenal was the best game I've seen this season, fantastic watch from first minute to last. Think Arsenal made an error taking Walcott and Ozil off, they could've pinched another on the break at 2-3. They'll be disappointed not to win but would've taken that at the start if it mean Man. City dropping two points. Giroud though....on course for 30 goals this season. He has to be underrated if he does that surely, exceptional finish for the third goal. I might be going in full gharperr mode here but why do people just assume someone like Benzema would score 40 goals a season at Arsenal if Giroud is capable of 30?

I've previously discounted Swansea, I expected them to win tonight and move away. They are in this big time especially with an inexperienced manager not that I think Alan Curtis will actually make it to the end of the season.

Is he the guy who Sunderland wanted to sign or am I confusing?

The bottom 3 will be out of us (definite), Sunderland (probables), Newcastle (are they ever going to sign any decent defenders????) and Bournemouth. Bournemouth had a great run but they're dipping again, don't really win many home games and has anyone seen their last 10 games in the run in? Got Man. United, Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man. City, certainly the hardest run in of them all. I think the only chance is if the survival rare is really low like 33 or 34 points. To get there is 6 wins and 4/5 draws, that's not out of the question if we play like we did tonight. I think something like 38 points is though, simply too many games we need to win or draw.

If we can still be in touch by March we have a reasonable run in....two huge 6 points at home to Bournemouth and Newcastle and also games v Southampton and Watford who will probably be on the beach like Palace. I agree with DDID...think we've left it too late. We really need this result v West Ham and then get something from Norwich and Sunderland. Leicester could easily beat us 2/3-0 and then Pulis grinds out a 1-0 v us again and we're back to square one, miles adrift with even less games.

Why are our fans worse than likes of Chelsea for instance? In answer to the title, I wouldn't say hated bar the local rivals and Newcastle who want us down after 2009, just indifference. In fairness it's always amusing when a big team is in turmoil and looks about to be relegated. I loved it when Newcastle went down in 2009, not just because we did it and was also enjoying it when Spurs were bottom of the league for two months a few seasons back, it's natural to take amusement from hyped teams so don't have an issue with it. Only way we can shut people up is winning games and looking like a proper football team again.

I noticed after the final whistle he seemed to want to get all the players in a huddle in the centre of the pitch but too many of the players were throwing their shirts into the Holte so it didn't happen. Didn't Fox say at one of the fan meets him and Hutton are the leaders in the dressing room?

Will he smile if we stay up?

Well played Leo. That's our best defensive unit, it will probably struggle v Leicester as they have much better strikers than Palace but we need to keep that together.

Still doing well at Bristol, they're in the bottom 3 and conceding shed loads of goals. I'm surprised as they were one of the best teams I've seen play at league one level and I've been watching that league regularly for the last 8 years. They totally outplayed Walsall at Wembley. Thought they'd adapt to the championship easily.

Probably a bit OTT saying Godin should win it but he didn't get in the team of the year did he? He's an outstanding defender, tough as nails and pops up with goals in big matches.

Our defensive unit is always better with him in it and whoever his partner is. Underrated for me, think he'll be very important next season and will be fine against championship strikers.

Best performance for the club tonight, best response possible to the weekend. Him and Okore seem to have a good thing going, don't break that up.

Yep now I'm looking at the list and thinking "if we get 4 points from Leicester/WBA....beat Norwich etc" Realistically it's not going to happen, we still have to win 8 more games to have a good shot but play like that tonight and we can win 3-4 at least and get some pride back and maybe not finish bottom.

His crossing was excellent tonight, a nice surprise considering he was slicing them into Row F last season. Good to have him back anyway, our defensive unit is starting to look better.

Best game since August.

Limited but at least he moves and makes runs unlike Gestede. I was sitting in the Lower witton tonight by the Holte so what probably wouldn't be noticed is the amount of times he headed it away from Palace free kicks, was marking Scott Dann's who's obviously a big danger.

Well if you look at the teams doing well this season likes of Hull and Burnley kept most of their squad and added a striker or two e.g. Andre Gray. Boro have a very good squad, Downing is still a good player at prem level, they have Nugent plus existing good players like Leadbitter, Adomah etc. Same with Derby, already a strong squad for the level and added Bent, Weimann, Butterfield and Bradley Johnson. To me try and keep Okore, Ayew, Adama, Grealish (if he can be bothered), sign a decent striker as I doubt Gestede will be feeling as good about life as he was at Blackburn after this season and get a solid defensive unit going e.g. new keeper, someone to partner Okore. If we just naively go in with mostly the same group of players who have been so used to losing then we will be found out particularly as to me this is a very lightweight group who hide when the going gets tough in matches. It was a very good point made there's hardly anyone vocal in our team and no leaders. It's a problem we've had since the MON years when the team was full of them so surely we can find 1-2 players capable of this a division lower.